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Who Else Is Hoping To See Charlie On The Hills?!

PetSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:05:39 -0700

With The Hills returning in just a few weeks, I'm admittedly sad that we won't be glimpsing cute Chloe this season (with no Lauren). Now I know this show has more animal lovers and Stephanie Pratt recently told People Pets about her one-year-old rescue named Charlie - what a cutie!

She's no stranger to furry family members, though:

I had every single type of animal growing up. I had a guinea pig, and even got a horse for Christmas once. My whole family truly loves animals.

Now I knew she had a guinea pig (or was it a hamster?) from an episode last season and I'm hoping we see Charlie when the show kicks back up again. Any bets on the likelihood of his small-screen debut?

Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Pratt

In This Town, Everyone Gets a Ride!

PetSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:45:31 -0800

Seriously, you find the darnedest things walking down the street these days! Just today as he was wandering around the city, OnSugar user Kjell found this interesting sight: the three layer animal cake. Not only is kitty riding the doggie as he walks down the street, but there is a rat hitching a ride on top of this incredible balancing cat!

I've never been lucky enough to catch these three around town, but I'm certainly keeping my eye out from now on to find out how the heck their owner got them to do that! It just goes to show you that dogs, cats, and even rats can get along just fine - don't believe the myths.

The Scoop: Rats Are the New Bomb-Sniffing Dog

PetSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:00:53 -0700

For four decades, Columbia has been wrought with war between its government and extremist rebels, leaving dangerous land mines sprinkled over the countryside. But instead of using people or bomb sniffing dogs to locate the mines, Columbia is turning to a much smaller soldier for the job: rats.

For the past few years, rats have been trained in mazes to sniff out dangerous C-4 explosives. Their tiny stature and weight won't trigger the mines so there's a better chance of diffusing the bombs safely. Surprisingly, the rats come with an 84 percent success rate, and are also being trained to work alongside Columbia's trusty German Shepherds for even more explosive detecting jobs. I am sure we can agree it gives the term "lab rat" a whole new meaning, but what do you think of the practice?

Source

Dog Days of Summer: Rat Poison

PetSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:15:47 -0700

While there are times I wish North had more outdoor space to frolic, quite often I'm grateful for my pooch's sheltered city lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, he still takes nice long walks . . . but I'm on the other end of the leash making sure his nose (and mouth) stay out of mischief!

While we know not to have hazardous chemicals like rat poison around the house, you can't be certain that all your neighbors behave the same way. If a pet is not decontaminated immediately after ingestion, these agents are absorbed into the blood and ultimately alter the ability of blood to clot normally.

Learn what to look for when you read more.

Since signs of poisoning are associated with internal bleeding into body cavities, look for any outward signs like blood from the nose, in urine, or bruising, for example. Vitamin K is an antidote used depending upon exposure history, decontamination, or signs of toxicity, and it's vital to get your pet to the vet immediately. Remember, it's not just dogs in danger; cats can be indirectly exposed when they ingest the poison from the gastrointestinal tract of the rodents they catch.

Source

Happy Year of the Great Pointed Archer?

PetSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:45:47 -0800

Fear not, everyone, I have not lost my mind, nor am I introducing more PetSugar-isms . . . I only wish I could take credit for this. Because today starts the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, I wanted to find a clever rodent-related morsel to share with all of you. You may remember my animated rats and mice quiz featuring many characters that were not exactly shown in a flattering light - I mean, even the word "rat" is used to describe sneaky, deceitful people.

Here's where the Great Pointed Archers come in. The creators of this website hope to replace the offensive word with this "untainted and beautiful" name to begin to repair centuries of disrespect and hatred. The website itself is pretty neat – you can play an Archer Dash game to find and consume delicious snacks (while avoiding the dangers of a city street) and even design your own ~~rat~~ Great Pointed Archer like I did! I think it's an admirable cause but, as a friend pointed out, if a rat runs across her foot in the subway station, she's not actually gonna cry out "Ewww, a Great Pointed Archer!" What about you?

How Well Do You Know Animated Mice?

PetSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:00:41 -0800

Hooray! Ratatouille comes out on DVD today, and to celebrate I've made a list of some of the most memorable rodents around. Think you know your animated mice and rats? Match each character's name with his or her feature film!

Source

Take the quiz

Peanut: Pet of the Day

PetSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:30:42 -0700

This pup's future's so bright, she's gotta wear shades. I bet she's hoping that future includes some of her fave snackies like carrots, apples, and PB. Lil Peanut loves going on adventures in the car and to the pet store. Oh yeah, and the dog park as the high-energy pooch enjoys running circles around the other dogs, and even has her own pair of pink Doggles to keep those eyes protected!

Even though it's all happy times now, her past wasn't so great – the Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix was abandoned in a shelter in Austin because her old family said this five-pound pooch was too big for their new house . . . hmm, sounds suspicious to me. Thankfully the ladies at the shelter brought the cutie to an adoption fair in Arizona where she met her new mommy, lilyofthewest! Yay for happy endings . . . and yay for Friday!

Dakota: Pet of the Day

PetSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:45:44 -0700

It's National Pet Week and, to kick it off, I'm starting Pet of the Day! That's right all the POTW goodness you love each day! Our first lucky furball is Dakota. I couldn't help but pick him – he looks rather derby worthy in that big hat. . . . while also looking Cinco de Mayo appropriate. This cutie pie loves to sit in warm places – in the sunshine, fresh-from-the-dryer laundry, or snuggly under the covers. The lil Rat Terrier was rescued by jgasia and now enjoys wiggling around, getting treats, and chasing birds in the backyard. What a life!

Do You Know How Many Pets Are Allowed Per Household?

PetSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:15:54 -0800

Having a houseful of cats can earn you mean names - who are you calling crazy?! - but do you know how many animals you can legally own in your county? I checked out Cat Ladies at the SF Documentary Film Festival earlier this month and the producers were asked about law breaking for the movie. The flick was filmed in Canada, with different pet laws by region, but there were still concerns about ratting out (ha) pet owners over the legal limit.

Which brings us to Dudley, MA, where a woman put her home up for sale because she had more than three cats, which would require a residential kennel license in her area. I know it's come up for celebs (like Paris Hilton) and I honestly don't know how many pets my city legally allows per home, but I'm sure just one lil guy is fine. Do you?

Save a Cat on Facebook: In the LINK of an Eye!

PetSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:30:08 -0700

Check out the new Save a Cat Facebook app - Dogtime
Simon's Cat is still needy (but what a Friday feel good!) - TrèsSugar
RIP, 30-year-old cat, Caterack - People Pets
Learn more about Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell - Paw Nation
What's your take on sedating a pet after surgery? - Dolittler
Bingeing gets rats hooked on junk food - Discovery News
Cool products for the German katzen - moderncat